[March 25, 2014]ATLANTA — Atlanta Betterment
handed out eight grants Saturday evening at the Palms Grill Café.
The grants come from the Endow Atlanta Fund that was set up to
assist Atlanta groups as they undertake improvement projects in the
community. This year Atlanta Betterment was able to distribute
$1,800. Last year, its first year, less than $1,000 was awarded.

Atlanta Betterment set out to raise $100,000 initially and has
already exceeded that goal. The Endow Atlanta grants come from the
interest that is generated by the fund, which is managed by the
Illinois Prairie Community Foundation in Bloomington.

In awarding the grants, Atlanta Betterment has only two
requirements. They prefer that the requested grant application
amount have a match from another source, and that the project
undertaken with grant money have a project completion date.

The four directors of Atlanta Betterment — Bill Thomas, Dale
Colaw, Susan Hoblit and Billie Cheek — decide among those submitting
grant requests, which to fund and how much to apportion to them.

"Endow Atlanta is unique among small towns in central Illinois
with our community grant program," said Billie Cheek.

Endow Atlanta is funded through the generosity of members of the
Atlanta community. So far, more than 80 Atlanta residents have
donated at least $1,000 each to the fund. The first 100 to donate at
that level will have their names enshrined on a monument that will
be placed at the Atlanta Public Library.